THE MAKING OF A MARGARITA

Serves: 2

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THE MAKING OF A MARGARITA

Ready in: 10 MinTotal time: 10 Min

The Margarita…a thing of beauty. Blended or shaken, salt or no salt; even though it didn’t make an appearance in the world until the early 1970s, we’ve loved them ever since! Early on, it was considered a twist on the traditional Sidecar, with tequila standing in for brandy, lime juice for lemon, and a salt rim instead of sugar. These days the standard version includes orange liqueur…But the Margarita has come a long way! Today, unique and inspired flavor combinations scintillate our palate, and the possibilities are endless. Consider a little heat with your fruity concoction by combining strawberries and sriracha or hatch chiles with your mango madness. Make your own simple syrups, infused with pungent flavors like ginger or mint or substitute agave, for its beautifully blending attributes. For a salt lick, consider smoked salts or a candied ginger-infused salt (or even sugar) to rim your glasses in style. The following guidelines will.

Ingredients

TRADITIONAL MARGARITAS:

• 2 ounces silver Tequila
• 1 ounce Cointreau (better than triple sec)
• 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

STRAWBERRY SRIRACHA MARGARITAS:

• 2 cups strawberries, hulled and chopped
• 1/2 cup Tequila
• 1/4 cup Cointreau (or other orange flavored liquor)
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar
• 1/24 teaspoon Sriracha
• 2 cups ice

CUCUMBER CILANTRO MARGARITAS:

• 6 slices cucumber
• 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves (no stems)
• 2 shots silver Tequila
• 1 shot Cointreau
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice

Instructions

1. TRADITIONAL MARGARITAS: Shake with ice. Strain. Serve.
2. STRAWBERRY SRIRACHA MARGARITAS: Blend until smooth and serve.
3. CUCUMBER CILANTRO MARGARITAS: Blend until smooth and serve.
4. A LESSON IN MARGARITAS: Paying attention to the details is essential…
5. Squeeze It: The single most important ingredient is fresh lime juice. Use any gadget you like–just please don’t twist open a screw cap. For parties, juice the limes ahead and fill a squeeze bottle to keep at the ready.
6. Sweeten It Up: Notice there’s no triple sec in our recipe? That’s not a typo–and no, you won’t miss it. We prefer light agave syrup for its complementary flavors (and shared origin) with tequila.
7. Go for Silver: Always drink tequila made from 100 percent blue agave. It just tastes better. In Margaritas, use only Blanco (a.k.a. silver or white) tequilas, which have a peppery, vegetal kick that won’t get buried when mixed. Save your aged Reposado for sipping.
8. Rim It: Salt brings out the flavor in everything, but too much can be overwhelming. So we only salt halfway around the rim…or you could always sugar, if you like (see above).

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